Flute.



H. W; T. III-INNER.

FLUTE. APPLICIATION FILED JAN.23. 190a.

Patented May 4, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' INVENTOR mushy WITNESSES H. W. T. JENNERr FLUTE. APPLIGATII ON IILEDJAN. 23. 1909 Patented May 4, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR HERBERT W. 'I. JENNER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

FLUTE Application filed January 23, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT W. T. JEN- men, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Flutes; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates more particularly to Boehm flutes provided withconical head joints and cylindrical body-portions; and it consists inthe novel construction of the head-joint, barrel, and mouthpiece, and incertain improvements in the key-mechanism, as hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the upperend portion of a flute constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 and 4 are longitudinal sectionsthrough two head-joints showing two modifications. Fig. 5 is a plan viewof the brace and socket shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a plan view of theflutebarrel showing the positions of the new keys. Fig. 7 is alongitudinal section through the flute-barrel taken on the line oo inFig. 6. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the new keys drawn to an enlargedscale. Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12, are cross-sections, taken on the lines1/; w, l/' l and z2, respectively, in Fig. 8. Fig. 13 is a detail viewof the trip-lever 40. Fig. 14 is a rear view of the supports and springs[or the new keys.

A is a portion of the barrel or body of the flute. This barrel ispreferably cylindrical for the greater portion of its length, and it isprovided with any approved system oi holes and key-mechanism.

L is the head-joint of the flute, and C is the mouthpiece which isprovided with a lateral 'embouchure or blow-hole D. T he upper endportion oi the bore of the head-joint is formed conical upon approvedlines. The lower end portion oi the head-joint is cylindrical, and it isconnected to the barrel by a slip-joint E of any approved construction,so that the headj'oint may be drawn out or pushed in to varythe pitch ofthe instrument in the usual manner.

The mouthpiece (l is short, and it is connected to the upper end of thehead-joint by a slip-joint I. The embouchure D is ar- Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1909.

Serial No. 473,855.

ranged at the middle part 01' the mouthpiece. The axis F of themouthpiece, and also its exterior surface around the embouchure, isarranged at an acute angle to the axisfo'l' the barrel and the lowerpart of the head-joint. The head-joint is straight at the slip-joints Iand E, and the intervening portion J is preferably .i'ormed upon a curveof large radius. The angle of the axis F with the axis f is preferably20, but the exact angle is not material. By constructing the head-jointand its mouthpiece in this manner, the embouchure D can be held in ahorizontal position, and parallel with the parting line and openingbetween the lips of the player, when the head of the player is helderect. The barrel of the flute with the key-mechanism is then in aconveniently inclined position, and the arms of the player are notraised to an inconvenient extent. V'Then the axis F is in line with theaxis f, as in flutes constructed in the usual manner, the embouchure isusually held somewhat out of parallel with the opening between the lipsof the player. The tone is not so good, nor so easily produced, when theembo'uchure is held in this position, and the player tries to improvethe tone by leaning his head to one side and by raising the barrel to anearly horizontal position, and in so doing he is obliged to assumepositions which are tiring to maintain.

The short separate mouthpiece is a great advantage, as it can be renewedat a small cost if it splits, and a set of interchangeable mouthpiecescan be provided having embouchures of diilerent form to suit differentrequirements.

The mouthpiece C is adjustable circumferentially of the head-joint bymeans of the slip-joint I. This slip-joint also permits the parts to beadjusted longitudinally to a limited extent, if desired. A greater rangeof longitudinal adjustment can be had by making the adjacent surfaces ofthe slip-joint cylindrical instead of making them tapered. Thecircumferential adjustment of the mouthpiece on the head-joint is oiimportance as it enables the position of the em bouchure to be adjustedwith reference to the holes and key-mechanism oi the barrel, withoutturning the head-joint in the barrel. When a curved head-joint is turnedcircumferenti'ally in the barrel, it throws the upper part of thehead-joint and the mouthpiece out of line w th the barrel, when viewedas shown in Fig. 2. If desired, however, the mouthpiece can be set out01" line with the barrel by turning the head-joint in the barrel, andthe mouthpiece can then be adjusted on the end of the head-joint to anydesired position. When the exact position of the mouthpiece has beenadjusted circumferentially to suit the individual player, the mouthpiececan be secured on the head-joint with shellac-cement, or in any otherapproved manner, if desired.

K is a knuckle-plate on the underside of the barrel. This knuckleplatebears against the lower part of the knuckle-joint of the fore-finger,and it prevents the curved headjoint from twisting the barrelcircumferentially in the hands when the mouthpiece is pressed againstthe lip. This knuckleplate is preferably removable, being provided witha peg or screw it which engages-with a socket on the barrel. Theposition of the knuckleplate is shown in Figs. 5 and 7. One side of theknuckle-plate is curved to fit against the knuckle-joint, and as theknuckle-plate only projects downward for a short distance it does notpress on the ligaments between the finger and thumb like a thumb-crutch.

The mouthpiece C is provided with a tuning-plug or cork G. This plug hasa cork facing g secured around the end portion of it which engages withthe mouthpiece. The middle part of the plug has a stop or shoulder itwhich bears against the end of the mouthpiece and which is immovablewith respect to the said end portion. The other end portion forms afinger-piece or knob H for inserting and removing the plug. The usualscrew for adjusting the cork is dispensed with, and the flute has theadvantage of being lighter at its upper end than when an adjustingscrewis provided. The exact position of the plug G with respect to theembouchure is first determined by means of an experimental cork, and theplug G is then made of the right length. The plug G can be removed asoften as desired, to wipe out the mouthpiece, and the positioningshoulder it enables it to be replaced in its exact original position.

A facing or cake 9 of hard wax, such as dental impression wax, issecured on one end of the tuning-plug G. The wax is heated and isdropped on the plug so that it adheres tightly to it. the moisture fromthe breath being absorbed by the cork, and ultimately causing themouthpiece to split. t also affords a means of fine adjustment, as ifthe tuning-plug is a little too long it can be shortened by rubbing thewax on a sheet of sand-paper; or an additional thickness of wax can beapplied in a similar manner. to increase the length of the plug, and thefacing subsequently reduced. to make the plug the exact length required.

This wax facing prevents In the modification shown in Fig. 3, thehead-joint b is formed wholly of wood, and its tubular upper part ormouthpiece c is secured at an angle to its lower part. The mouthpiece 0can be adjusted circumferentially of the head-joint, and it is securedto it by a socket or slipjoint of any approved construction. It ispreferably secured by a socket i which encircles the adjacent portionsof the mouthpiece and head-joint. A brace or brace-bar 4 is secured tothe socket at the lower side of the head-joint and mouthpiece to stiffentheir junction. The other forms of head-joint can also be provided withstifiening braces, if desired. The stiffening brace 4 can be secured tothe mouthpiece and head-joint by screws 5, or in any other approvedmanner, after the mouthpiece has been adjusted. The wooden head-joint Z)may be connected to a wooden barrel (1 by a cork slip-joint e ofapproved construction, as shown in Fig. 3. The other head-joints may beconnected to a wooden barrel a by sliding their lower cylindrical endortions into a socket tube 6 as shown in .1g. 7.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, the head-joint b is curved the sameas the headjoint shown in Fig. 1, but it is made longer so that it formsa liner for the mouthpiece c. In this form of the device the mouthpiecec is preferably secured so that its embouchure comes in the mostdesirable position for the generality of players, and the mouthpiece maybe formed integral with the head-joint if desired. The mouthpiece 0 canbe adjusted to a limited extent, by making the hole 70 in the head-jointlarger than the embouchure d, so that the embouchure will not beobstructed when the mouthpiece is moved circumferentially to set it toits exact position.

The improvements hereinbefore described are chiefly shown applied tometal flutes, but they can be applied to flutes of any material. Theflute-barrels can all be of wood, or of ebonite. The curved headjointsand their mouthpieces can be made of ebonite or other suitable moldedmaterial, or they can be made of thin metal covered with ebonite p orother approved casing material. Rings 2 are secured to the wooden partswherever desired, to prevent splitting.

The barrel is provided with the usual holes for producing th notes, asindicated in Figs. 6 and 7, and in order to improve the tone of thelowest notes the lower end portion of the barrel is provided with aconical or tapering portion N. This conical portion preferably joinsonto the cylindrical part of the barrel at a point between the D-sharpand E-natural holes, and it is largest at the extreme lower end of theflute-barrel. The barrel is made a little longer than when cyliiidricalfor its full leh'gth, as the conical portion N sharpens the lowest notematerially. The tone of the lowest note, C-n'atui'al, is fuller and moreres'oii'a'nt when the barrel is formed in this manner because of theincreased volume of air which is thrown into vibration, and the qualityof the tone is improved because the first upper partial, the ihiddleCnatu'ral, is more nearly in tune with the fundamental tone when'sou'ndihg with it. A. good effect is produced when the diameter at theextreme end of the barrel is ten per cent. larger than the 'di'aiiieterof its cylindrical portion, but an increase of fifteen per cent. isfound to be detrimental to the tone. The sides of the tapered portion Nare substantially straight, but the tapered portion should curve intothe cylindrical portion as smoothly and gently as possible.

The barrel of the flute is provided with keys 8 and t for closing theA-natural and in Figs. 6, 9 and 10, 14 is one of the pillars whichsupport the spindle 15 and the tubular shaft 16 pertaining to the keysof the Csharp, B-natural, and B-flat holes. The keys 5 and t arepreferably sup ported by a separate spindle 17 carried by pillars 18 and19, the holes covered by those keys being preferably arranged out ofline with the other holes. All the keys are provided with pads ofapproved construction. The upper key 8 which is depressed by the thirdfinger of the left hand is provided with a bearing-tube 12, and it isnormally held open by a sprihg 2O projecting from the lower pillar19fand engaging with a hook 21 on the shank of the key 8. The key 25 isprovided With a bearing-tube 13, and this bearing-tube is provided witha lug 22 which overlaps a lug 23 whicli projects from the bearing tube12, so that the key t is also norinally raised by the spring 20. Anadjustingscrew 24 is provided in the lug 22 which bears on the lug 23. Aspring 25 is secured to the upper pillar 18 and projects across thesleeve 12 and engages with a hook 27 on the shank of the key 75. Whenthe key s is depressed, the spring 25 presses down the key If and closesthe G-sharp hole. The spring 25 is normally under tension, but it doesnot depress the key 1? until the key 8 is depressed because the spring20 is stronger or more effective than the spring 25 and holds both keysraised. The two springs '20 and 25 are arraii'ged one above the other atdifferent levels, and are made as long as possible.

.hey are preferably secured to the pillars under the bearing-sleeves sothat they are protected from exposure and injury. The G-sha'rp key if israised forcibly, independent of the key 8, and while the key 3 isdepressed, by means of a key-lever 30 operated by the little finger ofthe left hand. This key lever 30 is pivoted on a pin 31 carried bypillars 32 which are secured to the barrel and arranged between the keys8 and t. The short end portion 33 of the key-lever 30 projects under thelug on the bearingtube 13 of the key t, so that the said key is raisedagainst the pressure of the spring 25 when the long end of the key-lever30 is depressed. The key 8 is provided with an extension-plate s to givethe third finger additional leverage to operate the key against thepressure of the strong spring 20 which normally raises it, but thisextension-plate may be dispensed with if desired.

In Boehin flutes as heretofore constructed, an additional G-sharp keyhad to be provided, under the closed G-sharp system; and under the openG-sharp system the keylever was secured to the G-sharp key, so that theG-sharp key was held closed by the little finger. With the arrangementhereinb'efore described all the advantages of the closed G-sharp systemare obtained, and one key and one hole into the flute are dispensedwith.

In order to facilitate the formation of the (Ft-sharp notes, in certainpassages of music, and more particularly to facilitate the formation ofthe high G-sha'rp when passing between it and the high F-sharp andG-natural notes, an additional trip-lever 40 is provided, and isoperated by the first finger of the right hand. This trip-lever 40 ispivoted on a pin 41 carried by pillars or a double-eye 4-2 secured tothe barrel between the G-sh'arp hole arid the G-nat'ural hole. Thistrip-lever 40 is arranged longitudinally of the barrel and it isprovided with a projection 43 on its shorter end which works in a recessin the underside of the shank of the G-sharp key 6, or is otherwiseoperativc l'y connected with the said key. The longer end portion of thetrip-lever 40 is arranged sufiiciently above the 'G-natural hole so asnot to interfere with its key, and so that it can be worked by the tipof the first finger when raised oil the key over the F-sharp hole. Thekey of the G- natural hole is normally held down by the pressure of thefirst finger on the key over the F-sharp hole, so that the tip of thefirst finger is moved a little toward. the headjoint of the flute beforebeing applied to dc press the trip-lever 4 The various supportingpillars hereinbel' ore described are secured to the metallic frame 45,which is secured to the barrel of the flute in any approved manner, andthis frame is provided.with suitable lugs or extensions for theadditional pillars. The key-lever 30 is provided with a cork stop-block46 on its lower side which rests on the barrel until the key 8 isdepressed. The cork stop-block 46 is secured to the key-lever 30, and israised with it by the action of the spring 25 and the lug 22, when thekey 8 is depressed to permit the spring 25 to press the lug 22downwardly on the short end portion 33 of the key-lever. The keys 8 andt are provided with stop-arms 4:7 and 48 respectively, which have corkstop-blocks a9 and 50 secured to them and bearing against the frame 15.

I Jha-t I claim is:

1. In a flute, the combination, with a barrel, of a head-joint, and amouthpiece adj ust able circumlerentially on the upper end portion ofthe said head-joint, said mouthpiece having a lateral embouchure andhaving its aXis arranged at an acute angle to the aXis of the saidbarrel.

2. A head-joint for a flute provided with straight upper and lower endportions arranged at an angle to each other, the said upper end portionconstituting a mouthpiece and having an embouchure in the same side asthat on which the said head-joint projects outward, said head-jointbeing adapted to be played when held transversely of the player with itssaid upper end portion horizontal and with its lower end portioninclined downward at an acute angle to the horizontal.

3. A head-joint for a flute having straight upper and lower end portionsand a curved middle portion which projects laterally, the said upper endportion constituting a mouthpiece and having an einbouchure in the sameside as that on which the said middle portion projects, and the saidhead-joint being adapted to be played when held transversely of theplayer with its said upper end portion horizontal and with its lower endportion inclined downward at an acute angle to the horizontal.

4. A head-joint for a flute provided with straight upper and lower endportions arranged at an angle to each other, the said upper end portionconstituting a mouthpiece and having an embouchure in the same side asthat on which the said head-joint projects outward, said head-jointhaving also a relatively short plug which closes its upper end and whichextends therefrom to within a short distance or" the embouchure.

In aflute, the combination, with a barrel, of a head-joint provided withstraight upper and lower end portions arranged at an angle to eachother, the said upper end portion constituting a mouthpiece and havingan embouchure in the same side as that on which the said head-jointprojects outward, and a stop or rest on thesaid barrel which projects inthe opposite direction from the said projecting side and which preventsthe barrel from slipping circumferentially when the flute is beingplayed.

6. In a flute, the combination, with a headjoint provided with straightupper and lower end portions arranged at an angle to each other, thesaid upper end portion constituting a mouthpiece and having anembouchure in the same side as that on which the said head-jointprojects outward, of a stiffening brace or bar secured on the lower sideof the said head-joint and mouthpiece.

7 In a flute, the combination, with a mouthpiece provided with a lateralembouchure, of a tuning-plug provided with a positioning shoulder whichbears against the end of the mouthpiece, a plate for adjusting thelength of the plug, said plate being formed of soft but inelasticmaterial and secured over one end oi the plug, and an intermediateportion of elastic material arranged between the said plate and shoulderand holding the plug in the mouthpiece.

8. In a flute, the combination, with a headjoint provided with a lateralembouchure and having the upper end portion of its bore tapered andsmallest at its upper end, of a barrel having a cylindrical upperportion and a tapered lower end portion, the said tapered lower endportion having substantially straight sides and having its largestdiameter at the bottom end of the barrel.

9. In a flute, the combination, with a head joint provided with alateral embouchure and having the upper end portion of its bore taperedand smallest at its upper end, of a barrel cylindrical in bore from itsupper end to a point between its E-natural and D-sharp holes and havingits lower end portion tapered and largest at its lower end.

10. In a wind instrument, the combination, with a pivot-pin, twonormally-raised :eys carried by the said pivot-pin and arranged side byside, and a spring which depresses one of the said keys when the otherkey is depressed; of a second pivot-pin supported in the space betweenthe said keys, and a lever which raises the said springpressed keywithout raising the other key, said lever being carried by the last saidpivotpin and arranged on the same side of the first said pivot-pin asthe said keys.

11. In a wind instrument, the combina.

tion, with a pivoted G-sharp key provided with a spring for depressingit, of a support secured between the G-sharp and G-natural holes, and atrip-lever arranged at a rightangle to the said key and having itsmiddle portion pivoted to the said support, said triplever having anupper end portion which engages with the said key and a free lower endportion adapted to be depressed by the first iger of the right hand toraise the said key.

12. In a wind instrument, the combination, with two stationary pillars,of two keys pivoted between the said pillars and provided withoverlapping portions, a spring secured to the lower pillar and engagingwith the upper key and normally holding both keys raised, a springsecured to the upper pillar and engaging with the lower key anddepressing it when the upper key is depressed, and means for raising thelower key against the pressure of the last said spring without raisingthe upper key.

13. In a wind instrument, the combina tion, with two stationary pillars,of two keys pivoted side by side between the said pillars and providedwith overlapping lugs, a spring secured to the lower pillar and engagingwith the upper key and normally holding both keys raised, a springsecured to the upper pillar and engaging with the lower key and closingit when the upper key is depressed,

, and a lever 1 pivoted independent of the said keys and a 'ording ameans for raising the lower key Without raising the upper key.

14. In a wind instrument, the combination, with two stationary pillars,of two keys pivoted between the said pillars and provided withoverlapping portions, a spring secured to the lower pillar and engagingwith the upper key and normally holding both keys raised, a springsecured to the upper pillar and engaging with the lower key anddepressing it when the upper key is depressed, said springs beingarranged underneath and at different distances from the axis of the saidkeys, and means for raising the lower key against the pressure of thelast said spring without raising the upper key.

In testimony whereof I have afliXed my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

HERBERT W. T. JENNER.

Witnesses JOHN L. FLETCHER, M. R. MULLEN.

